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Getting Directions - How to Visit Your UCF Academic Adviser
Academic advisement is one of the most important services available to any college or university student. Visiting your adviser every semester is important because they can help you select what courses you need to take, as well as giving you some direction for your academic career. These people are specially trained to help students that don't know what to do, whether its that they don't know how to sign up for classes or don't know what classes to sign up for. These things said however, setting up an appointment can be difficult, and visiting an adviser can be awkward, if not simply intimidating. Hopefully this guide will be able to advise you on how to see your adviser! Setting Up Your Appointment Before you even make your way to the advisement offices at UCF, you need to make an appointment to see your specific adviser. This can be done one of several ways: # By Phone # By Email # In Person By Phone Arguably the most convenient way to set up an appointment with your adviser is to simply call their office to set up an appointment. This is a handy tool to look up individuals or employees in the UCF directory, and once you have their phone number you can call. Alternatively, if you know what college you are a part of, you can call the main office of the college to receive directions. Once you have the phone number that you need, you can move on to the next step. Simply call the number! More likely than not you will be connected with a secretary or assistant to the adviser that you are trying to reach. These people are often straight forward, but are hired for their politeness, so try not to be too intimidated! Simply tell the person that you would like to meet with your adviser, and continue through until this purpose is accomplished. By Email Often times we find ourselves unable to make a phone call for whatever reason. Luckily, we can still set up appointments to see our advisers via email. For this method, the adviser can be reached directly, or you can contact their assistant or office to schedule your meeting. This method is convenient for those that find it hard to express themselves orally, as you can be quite deliberate with your wording, and efficiently outline any issues that you would like to cover in your meeting. In order to find your advisers email, it can often be found by simply searching their name on a search engine like google. Similarly, you can go to the webpage of your college to find the email of the secretary or other manager through the internet, and send them an appropriate message. Keep in mind that this is not the most direct method of setting up an appointment, and it may take time for someone to get back to you. In Person This is the most direct way to set up an appointment to see your adviser. Simply make your way over to their office or to the office of their corresponding college, and state that you would like to set up an appointment. Often the person making the appointment will take down information like your name and phone number, so be prepared accordingly. This option tends to be convenient if you find yourself on campus with time to kill, as it removes the uncertainty of calling, and the waiting of sending an email request. The Appointment - Realized Once the day of your appointment comes, you will want to be prepared. Know beforehand what you want to cover in your meeting: do you need to know what classes you should take? Are you second guessing your major? Etc. Write these things down if you need to, and make sure to get to your location punctually. It is also important to note that many advisers take two different types of meetings: # In Person Meetings # Over the Phone Consultations In Person Meetings This is arguably the most popular of the two types of meetings that you can elect for. In this case, you will meet your adviser most likely in his or her office. If this is the option that you have elected for, make sure you are there early so that you can make the most of your time with your adviser. This is also important in case there is any paperwork you need to fill out beforehand. Once you have checked in for your appointment and taken care of any other paperwork or issues, simply take a seat and wait to be called. Once you are called, let the meeting commence! Remember to bring your notes about what issues you would like to cover, be concise and clear headed, and make sure that you go before all of the classes you want fill up! Over the Phone Consultations This is the more convenient, but less direct method of getting advisement. In this case, your advisers office will call you at the scheduled time and transfer you to your adviser. This option is great if you have simple questions, or minor issues that you would like to bring up, but it is still wise to keep notes of what you would like to cover! When the scheduled time comes up, make sure to have your phone near you and pay attention to it so you do not miss your call. Generally, over the phone consultations are less personal, and you lose the convenience of having a computer in your advisers office to pull up information. That said, make sure you have any related documents available so that you are not scrambling to get them together during your meeting. Conclusions Always make sure to follow up with any advice your adviser gives you. Do not let opportunities they present to you slip by, and be sure to be proactive about everything school related! In the long run, you will find that this will save you many headaches. This guide was developed based on my own personal experiences with UCF advising services, but keep in mind that everyone's experience will be different. Be proactive, be polite, and good luck with all of your scholastic endeavors!